New Delhi, The clamour for unilateral actions against Pakistan-based terrorists has started growing close on the heels of China blocking UNSC bid...

New Delhi, The clamour for unilateral actions against Pakistan-based terrorists has started growing close on the heels of China blocking UNSC bid to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist. "Once again, China has blocked the UN from imposing sanctions on Masood Azhar, the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, which carried out the Pulwama attack in India in February. This is unacceptable," tweeted US Congressman Brad Sherman. "Big, Small and Many...big state holds up again," tweeted India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin in reference to China's decision putting in the technical hold. He, however, said the 'small gain" was a clear message that the global community and the UN was against terror. "Grateful to the many states , big and small, who in unprecedented numbers, joined as co-sponsors of the effort," he wrote. "The 1267 Sanctions Committee upon completion of the no-objection period on 13 March 2019, was not able to come to a decision on the proposal for listing Mohammed Masood Azhar Alvi under the UN Sanctions regime, on account of a member placing the proposal on hold.....We are disappointed by this outcome," an MEA statement said on Wednesday night after the move by France, the US and Britain and co-sponsored by other members failed.

Meanwhile, according to the sources, "China's move to hold the listing is inconsistent with its own stated goals of combatting terrorism and furthering regional stability". There are also broad hints both in India and overseas that perhaps it will have to take 'unilateral' steps to crush cross border terrorism. "China blocks move to declare Masood Azhar a global terrorist for the fourth time. If you want to be looked upon as a global superpower, start behaving like one. The only way forward is unilateral action. The fighter jets that reached Balakot can also reach Bahawalpur," Maj Gaurav Arya, a retired officer, tweeted. In the west, UNSC diplomatic sources also say that China's move blocking the UNSC bid for fourth time is almost like "preventing" the powerful UN organ do the job it is "entrusted with". The US, France and the UK moved a resolution to designate Masood Azhar a global terrorist after Pulwama terror attack. China has earlier blocked the move in 2009, in 2016 and also 2017. Mounting pressure on China, the US State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino has said on Wednesday - prior to Beijing putting on the technical hold that - 'The United States and China share a mutual interest in achieving regional stability and peace, and that a failure to designate Masood Azhar (a global terrorist) would run counter to this goal". The Indian government in its immediate reaction to the UNSC development made it clear that New Delhi "will continue to pursue all available avenues" to ensure that terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on "our citizens are brought to justice".